San Jose Sharks: Structurally Built for a Dynasty

The San Jose Sharks suffered a heartbreaking defeat at the hands of the Vancouver Canucks, falling in the Western Conference Finals for the second consecutive year. Most analysts will look at the way that the Sharks played in the series, and announce that losing in five games was not indicative of their strong performance. For some strange reason, this assessment is supposed to console Sharks fans.

I also believe that the best days for the Sharks lie ahead, but not because of their play in the series. My cause for my optimism lies in the salary structure of the current team, which is something Sharks fans can actually get excited about.

From a salary cap standpoint, the San Jose Sharks are built for long-term success. The biggest problem facing most teams recently (like the Red Wings a few years ago, and the Blackhawks last season) was that their players were all coming into their primes at the same time. Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook all needed big contracts at the same time, which lead to the collapse of a team that otherwise could have been a dynasty. The salary cap era has shown that building a team all at once is an unsustainable formula.

The Canucks are facing a similar problem with their defense this off-season. After signing Dan Hamhuis this past offseason, the Canucks will also have to re-sign Christian Ehrhoff, Kevin Bieksa, and Sami Salo to ensure that they keep the deepest defense in the league together.

While Salo may not get another major contract because of his injury concerns, Ehrhoff and Bieksa are both looking for long-term, expensive contracts. With the inexplicable acquisition of Keith Ballard and his ludicrous $4.2 million dollar deal this past off-season, it will be almost impossible for the Canucks to maintain the services of both stars.

The Ballard trade may have been the strangest in the entire NHL over the past five years. The Canucks felt the need to go after a $4.2 million dollar player that would be their sixth defenseman, and gave up Steve Bernier, Michael Grabner and a first round pick.

Sounds like Florida got a steal right? Wrong. The Panthers promptly waived Grabner, allowing the Islanders to swoop in and pick up a player who had racked up the most goals in a season by a rookie since Alexander Ovechkin. I think the GMs in Vancouver and Florida must be kicking themselves these days, and rightfully so.

The Sharks, on the other hand, have their top players coming through in waves, which will help them stay competitive for many years to come. Right now, the team has Patrick Marleau, Joe Thornton, and Danny Heatley (although Heatley seems to have been on vacation for a while) all in the prime of their careers on big money contracts.

While the stars of the team are on major contracts, the team has solid young players like Devin Setoguchi (who will be a restricted free agent this summer) and Logan Couture still playing on their entry level contracts. Additionally, Ryan Clowe and Joe Pavelski are playing on contracts that run through 2014.

With all of their top players locked into long-term contracts, the Sharks are not obligated to give raises to their young guns while shelling out additional cash to keep their veterans around. This recipe will allow the Sharks to hold onto all of their offensive talent. When Heatley is playing on your third line, you know that the team has no problems with depth, and the ability to hold on to so many quality players is a luxury most teams have not allowed themselves.

San Jose's defense ranked fourth in the NHL in goals against, and they've also managed to lock up their important defenders for the foreseeable future. Dan Boyle is still locked into his mega-deal for the next few seasons, and M.E. Vlasic and Douglas Murray (I still can't believe he's Swedish with a name like that) have already finished off their entry-level deals.

The defense is actually in line for a significant influx of new talent. Ian White ($3 million) Nicklas Wallin ($2.5 million) and Kent Huskins ($1.7 million) are all coming off of the books this season, and if they do come back, it will be at a significant discount. With Jason Demers looking like he's ready to join the top six, the Sharks may be willing to throw the available money at a star defender. Wouldn't it be an amazing story if Kevin Bieksa was somehow lured to San Jose for next season? He sure made an impression on Sharks fans during the Western Conference Finals.

The Sharks also have a stable situation at goalie. Antti Niemi had a strong end to the season after a rough start. Niemi had some rough patches during the playoffs, but I think, as does GM Doug Wilson, that he'll be the goalie of the future. A couple of months ago, he received a four year deal that will pay him roughly $3.8 million per year. I think this is extremely fair for a goalie who has proven he can lead a team deep into the playoffs. Also, with Antero Nittymaki as a reliable backup, the Sharks are set in goal (great Sharks trivia: who is the last Canadian-born goaltender to play in a game for Sharks?).

My message to Sharks fans is the following: Over the next three years, the Canucks will struggle to find a way to fit Alexandre Burrows, Bieksa, and Ehrhoff under the salary cap. The Red Wings already lost to the Sharks this season, and are only getting older. The Flyers don't have a goalie who can stop a wiffle ball, never mind a puck. The Lightning are saddled with some bad contracts, and will be forced to either shell out top money for Steven Stamkos and Viktor Hedman in the upcoming seasons or let them walk.

Boston is the only team with a similar financial situation to the Sharks. Most of the serious competition isn't going to be able to afford to improve their current squads, never mind to keep all of their top players. With some savvy free agent signings this off-season and an increase in production from star rookie Couture (and hopefully a rejuvenated Dany Heatley), the Sharks core may be the most talented in the NHL by the end of 2012. And that's something you can really be excited for.

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